This invention relates generally to the field of construction machinery and more particularly to a self propelled mobile machine which is particularly adapted for subterranean installation of piping and the like. The invention is especially concerned with a ground supported mobile machine incorporating a combination of equipment features enabling it to function as a single piece of machinery capable of performing all necessary earth working functions called for in the subterranean installation of piping, tubing, cable, etc.
A number of instances exist where a plurality of earth or ground working operations are required to complete the particular project. To a large extent these several earth working operations such as trenching, earth back filling, vertical hole drilling, etc. have necessitated the utilization of a plurality of separate machinery components to carry out the individual earth working operations in completing the project.
As an example of such a project, greater attention is being given to the energy conservation benefits to be derived from installing closed loop water source heat pumps. For the millions of dwellings utilizing fuel oil, electric or gas heat the attractiveness of utilizing a closed loop water source heat pump is apparent. Whereas installing the pipe loops for the water source heat pump can be carried out horizontally in trenches where there is enough land area at the particular site, many dwelling locations do not have adequate land area available for such horizontal trench installed pipe loops. Thus vertically installed pipe loops in drilled holes of upwards of 110 feet become attractive and a near necessity when land availability surrounding the site for the closed loop water source heat pump is in limited availability.
At the present time, the cost and limitations on drilling equipment availability associated with drilling vertical holes for closed loop water source heat pump systems has forced most of the intending users to install water source heat pump systems concentrating on those applications where horizontal closed loops can be installed. Accordingly, high priority has been placed on developing a mobile machine that would be compact, very manuverable, and capable of efficiently digging the trench for the connecting water lines leading to the heat pump, drilling the hole to accomodate the vertical pipe loop, pushing the piping loop into such hole, and back filling the earth into the trench, etc; carrying out all of these earth or ground working operations that are conventionally performed separately, in a minimum length of time.
Considering the above example which frequently has necessitated utilization of a number of different earth or ground working machines to complete the project, thereby contributing to the cost and length of time necessary to complete the project, the instant invention provides a self contained combination mobile machine. Thereby, the full range of earth working operations needed in installing vertical piping loops employed with water source heat pump systems is made possible at a saving of overall cost and project completion time without the necessity of employing the usual multitude of separate items of earth working machinery.